Changing Times
by Neurotica
Summary: Complete. AU. Post OotP. The Marauders and Lily are late getting to the Hogwarts Express. While looking for an empty compartment, Lily notices a boy who looks a lot like James...
1. Platforms 9 and 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize in this story. That privilege belongs to the one and only JK Rowling. I am merely borrowing. **

* * *

_**Changing Times**_

By Neurotica

_Chapter One: Platform 9 ¾ _

– September –

10:58am

James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew raced through Kings Cross Station pushing their trolleys. They only had two minutes before the barrier closed…

"Dammit, Padfoot!" James yelled over his shoulder as he dodged a group of traveling Muggles. "This is all your fault!"

"My fault? How in the bloody hell could this be my fault?" Sirius yelled back.

"If you hadn't set of that Dungbomb in the kitchen, we'd be on time!"

"Oy! That wasn't me!"

"Who else could it have been, Sirius?"

"Will you two shut up? We can discuss this on the train!" Remus yelled behind Sirius. "If we make it to the train," he added under his breath. The full moon had recently passed, making the normally composed Prefect rather irritable.

The Marauders picked up their pace as they sped in and out of crowds.

"Guys!" Peter breathed somewhere behind them. "Wait – for me! I'm – not as – fast – as you!"

"Maybe you should lay off the Chocolate Frogs, Wormtail!" Sirius snapped.

James looked up and glanced at the clock: 10:59, it said. One minute… they had one minute to make it… And they _had_ to make it… his parents would kill him if they missed the train. They'd –

While looking at the clock, James' trolley collided with something hard. James flew over the bar of his trolley and landed feet away on the ground. His trunk had fallen from the trolley, but didn't open – magic was used to keep it shut. His owl cage was rolling away, with his owl inside, hooting indignantly.

Groaning, James looked up to see who he had hit. Any other day, he would have ruffled his hair in greeting, but he didn't have time to show off at the moment. The one and only Lily Evans was glaring at him as she examined the bleeding elbow she received from the collision.

"Sorry, Evans! You okay?" James asked, standing and trying to still his spinning head.

"Shit!" Sirius yelled, coming to a skidding stop in front of Lily and James. Remus stopped just behind him. Peter, however, wasn't as lucky. The moment he saw the collision, his trunk began to spin out of control, sending him into a brick platform.

James reached out to help Lily from the ground, but she slapped his hand away. "Get away from me, Potter," she snapped.

"I said I was sorry!" James said, taking his owl from Sirius.

"I don't have time for you, Potter! We've got about forty-five seconds before the train leaves. Or have you not learned to tell time, yet?"

Hurriedly, Sirius, James, and Remus began to toss all of the fallen belongings randomly back on the trolleys. With twenty seconds to go, the five students took off once more. They were in front of Platform Six… only three to go…

Fifteen seconds… Platforms Nine and Ten were in sight…

Ten seconds… a group of Muggles were passing the barrier, blocking their path.

"Move!" Sirius and James yelled irritably.

Five seconds… Peter's owl cage slipped off the trolley.

"Wait," he yelled.

"Hurry up, Wormtail!" James yelled.

Two seconds… more Muggles in their way…

One second… James passed through the barrier first, followed by Sirius, Lily, Remus, and Peter.

Lily breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the scarlet steam engine. "Thank Merlin I didn't miss it!" she said. Without a backwards glance, Lily pushed her trolley to the train.

The four boys shrugged their shoulders at one another and pushed their own trolleys forward.

"Whew," Peter breathed. "That was close."

Sirius clipped him in the back of the head and began throwing his trunk and owl cage into the cargo compartment.

"What was that for?" Peter groaned, rubbing his head.

"Just because," Sirius said with a grin.

Once their luggage was stowed, the Marauders and Lily climbed aboard the Hogwarts Express. Lily would have preferred to leave the boys with in with the cargo (well, maybe not Remus so much), but you can't always get what you want.

"Why are you four following me?" Lily asked as they made their way through the train as it began to move.

"It's a nice view," James grinned.

"Potter, don't make me hex you on the first day of school," Lily said exasperatedly.

"You can hex me anytime you want, Evans," he replied smoothly.

Sirius laughed as Lily rolled her eyes and looked for the Prefects' compartment; it seemed to have moved since last year…

Towards the back of the train, Remus cleared his throat. "Er, guys, are we _sure_ we're on the right train?"

"How can we _not_ be on the right train, Moony? Is there more than one Hogwarts Express?" Sirius asked.

"Not to my knowledge, no, but… well, I have yet to recognize one person on this train," Remus said, looking into compartments as they passed.

Lily stopped dead in her tracks, nearly causing James to run into her again (not that he would have minded), and looked into the last compartment on the train. Slowly, she turned back to the Marauders with a slightly shocked look on her face.

The four boys looked back at her confusedly as she looked between the compartment and them. "No way," she muttered under her breath.

"What's wrong, Evans?" James inquired. "Finally realizing how remarkably and strikingly handsome I am?"

"James, those are the same word… Remarkably and strikingly…" Remus said.

Lily paid no attention to James' comment (which was weird in its own way) and stared into the compartment. "What the hell, Evans?" Sirius said, pushing past James to see what Lily was so enthralled with. "Bloody hell," he muttered, his eyes going wide and his mouth dropping open.

"What?" James, Remus, and Peter asked in unison.

Sirius turned slowly back to James. "It's you…" he whispered.

"Are you feeling alright, Padfoot?" James asked concernedly.

Sirius grabbed his best friend's robe sleeve and pulled him forward, forcing him to look into the compartment.

Leaning against the window, with his eyes closed, was a boy about their age. He had the exact same glasses and hair as James; his even stuck up in the back, too.

"What's going on?" Peter squeaked from behind Remus, too short to look over the werewolf's shoulder.

Remus moved forward and looked into the compartment, as well. He raised a casual eyebrow at James. "Do you have a long lost brother, Prongs?"

"Not that I know of…" James said, looking at the boy.

"Should we go in?" Lily asked quietly and slightly fearfully. In these days, one couldn't be too careful.

"Well, we need somewhere to sit, don't we?" Sirius said reasonably, pushing past Lily and James to open the compartment door. "Hey, can we sit here?"

The boy shrugged, keeping his eyes closed and his head against the window.

"Okay," Sirius said slowly, leading his friends and Lily into the compartment. He sat closest to the door, ready for a quick escape, with Lily beside him. Against her protests, James sat on her other side, across from the strange boy.

Peter's eyes widened in shock as he set eyes on the boy – Remus pulled him down into the seat and looked questioningly at James.

'What?' James mouthed.

Remus gestured to the boy on his left. James rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. "So, are you new or something?"

The boy's eyes remained closed, but he raised an eyebrow. "No," he muttered.

"Okay…" James said, looking around at his friends for help.

"What's your name?" Lily asked kindly.

The boy's other eyebrow raised. "Harry Potter," he said as if they others in the compartment were completely dim.

'Harry Potter?' Sirius mouthed to James. James shrugged.

"Are you related to him?" Lily asked James in a whisper.

"I don't know. I don't think so," James answered in confusion.

"So, er, Harry, what year are you in?" Lily asked.

"Sixth," Harry said with a sigh.

Remus noticed the sad look on Harry's face. The boy looked completely exhausted, and a little on the skinny side for a sixth year. Really, he reminded Remus of himself after the full moon.

"What house?" Sirius asked.

"Gryffindor."

"Since when?" James blurted out rudely, earning an elbow in his stomach from Lily.

"Since first year," Harry said, raising his voice slightly. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

Five jaws dropped simultaneously as they set eyes on the emerald green eyes. _Lily's eyes_, James thought instantly. And he would know; he loved those eyes.

Harry stood suddenly in shock, making the other passengers jump as well. He pressed himself against the compartment window, took out his wand, pointed it at them, and demanded, "Who the hell are you?"


	2. Meet Professor Lupin

_**Changing Times**_

By Neurotica

_Chapter Two: Meet Professor Lupin_

Harry continued to point his wand at the five students before him. "I asked you who you are," he growled.

"Wow, buddy… calm down a bit," Sirius said, eyeing Harry's wand.

"Harry…" Lily said quietly. Harry started a bit at her voice. "Just calm down. We're not going to hurt you."

"I might if you don't get that wand out of my face," James said.

"James, shut up," Remus said calmly. "I'm Remus Lupin. This is Sir–"

"Don't tell him our names!" Sirius said loudly.

Remus rolled his eyes and continued. "This is Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Lily Evans, and James Potter."

Harry shook his head, keeping his wand steady. "You're lying," he said. They had to be lying…

"He's not lying," Lily said.

"Prove it, then," Harry said.

"How?" Remus asked just as calmly as before.

Harry looked at each of the Marauders and finally settled his eyes on Peter – his parents' betrayer. "You. Transform," he said.

Peter had tried to shrink back into shadows and was highly startled when Harry addressed him. "W –

what?" He squeaked.

"Transform," Harry said, moving his wand away from James and onto Peter.

"Oy! Back off!" Sirius yelled, moving between Peter and Harry, taking out his own wand.

Harry stared at Sirius for a moment as if debating something, but shook himself from whatever memory it was he was experiencing. "Tell him to transform," Harry said, his voice trembling slightly.

"Transform into what?" Lily asked, slightly startled at the boy's behavior.

"Into the rat," Harry said simply, not taking his eyes off of Peter.

James' eyes widened in realization. "How do you know about that?" he demanded.

"I know a lot," Harry said, avoiding James' eyes.

James, Sirius, and Remus exchanged a silent conversation with facial gestures. Sighing, Sirius nodded and moved out of the way of Harry's wand. "Do it, Pete," he said reluctantly.

Biting his lip, Peter nodded to his friends and closed his eyes tightly. A moment later, Lily screamed and pulled her legs up on the bench. In Peter's place was a fat rat with blue eyes and a bald tail.

"Shh, Lily, it's okay," James said, trying to hush the redhead.

"Satisfied?" Sirius growled at Harry.

"No," Harry said, but he lowered his wand.

"Change back, Peter," Remus said quietly. His calm demeanor was getting on Harry's nerves. Peter reappeared and sat, trembling, next to Remus.

"What…" Lily muttered, staring wide-eyed at Peter.

"He's an Animagus. They all are. Well, except him," Harry said, gesturing to Remus.

"How do you know that?" James asked furiously.

"I told you, I know a lot," Harry said, sitting on Remus' other side. "Too much," he added in a tone he thought to be inaudible. Remus looked at him oddly, but didn't comment.

"What's going on?" Lily whispered fearfully, tears filling her green eyes.

James sat back down next to her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. To everyone's surprise – James' especially – she didn't pull away.

"Harry," Remus began cautiously. "What year is it?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow at the question, but let Harry answer. "1996," he said quietly.

"What?" Lily said disbelievingly.

Harry nodded.

"But… how?" Sirius asked.

"The barrier," James whispered.

"That's what I was thinking," Remus said, nodding to his best friend. "Is Dumbledore still headmaster?"

"Yes," Harry said quietly, staring at the floor.

Remus nodded and sat back in his seat. The lunch trolley passed by a few hours later, but for the first time ever, none of the occupants in the compartment had much of an appetite. Lily leaned on James and rested her head on his shoulder. James raised an eyebrow at her behavior, but didn't comment. Sirius continued to stare at Harry skeptically, not trusting him one bit. How did he know about them being Animagi? What else did he know?

The train arrived in Hogsmeade just after dark. None of the other students noticed the five new passengers as they made their way to the "horseless" carriages. "Maybe you should all ride with me," Harry suggested hesitantly. He would take them to Dumbledore the moment they reached Hogwarts. None of them argued, and found an empty carriage.

"Harry!" called a voice.

Harry turned sharply and found Hermione approaching with Ron just behind her. "Hey," Harry said quietly to them. "Listen, I'm going to have to meet you in the Great Hall. I've got to talk with Dumbledore."

"About what?" Ron asked. "We just got here!"

"I'll tell you later," Harry said quickly. "See you."

He climbed into the cramped carriage and shut the door behind him. The ride was bumpy but silent. They stopped in front of the school, and, to Harry's relief, they were the first out of the carriages. "Come on," Harry said to the other five.

"Where does he get off ordering us around?" Sirius muttered to his friends.

"Shut up, Padfoot," James and Remus said, following Harry up to the school.

To everyone's surprise, Dumbledore was waiting for them just inside the door. "To my office, please," he said. "Quickly now."

Raising their eyebrows at one another, the six students followed Dumbledore to his office. "Have a seat, please," the headmaster said, sitting behind his desk. Silently, they sat in the six chairs arranged in front of them. "I see, Harry, that you've discovered our guests. I did hope you would be the one to meet them first," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.

"I… what?" Harry asked. Did Dumbledore know this was going to happen? _Of course, he knew, you prat! He's Dumbledore!_ Harry thought.

Dumbledore sighed. "The memories I have of this situation are quite strange. I looked forward to finding out how this occurred."

"You know?" Harry asked. "But how?"

Dumbledore smiled and pulled out a very aged looking piece of parchment from his purple robes. He looked at it for a moment, and held it over the table for the students. James took it and read it out loud for the others to hear.

"Dear Albus,'" James began, "James Potter, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew will be visiting Hogwarts once again for a short period of time beginning on 1 September 1996. The peculiarity of this event will be revealed to you in time. They will not cause much trouble. Beware the second floor corridor, third door on the left, the night before they leave. Signed, A.D. P.S. Your extra bag of lemon drops is behind the Floo Powder," James read. "What?" he added, looking up at the headmaster.

"Ah, yes, that reminds me. _Accio_ lemon drops," Dumbledore said cheerfully. A bag of yellow candies flew from the top of the fireplace and landed in Dumbledore's outstretched hand. "Delightful," he muttered, popping one of the candies into his mouth.

Six sets of raised eyebrows appeared before Dumbledore. "Right, sorry," he said, setting the bag of candies on his desk. "Now, please tell me how you came to be here."

James opened his mouth to speak, but found he didn't know where to begin. Luckily, he had Remus. He explained about how they nearly missed the train, and met Harry.

"I see," Dumbledore said, nodding in understanding. "The magical barrier was about to seal itself as the five of you passed through. Somehow, a mix-up has occurred, sending you twenty years into the future," he said simply.

"So you believe them?" Harry asked.

"Of course, I do, Harry," Dumbledore said. "Lemon drop?" he offered his students.

Sirius and James reached out and took a candy each from the bag. "These are good," Sirius muttered. James nodded in agreement.

"How long will we be here, sir?" Lily asked, rolling her eyes at Sirius and James.

"I do not know, Lily," Dumbledore said. "It could be anywhere from a day to a year. Now, while you are staying with us, we must find somewhere to put you. You are all sixth year Gryffindors, if my memory serves me correctly. But it would not be safe to place you in the dorms."

"Why wouldn't it be safe?" Remus asked.

"Voldemort," Harry muttered. Dumbledore nodded. Peter jumped and squeaked slightly at the name causing Harry and Dumbledore to exchange a knowing look at one another.

"That git's still around?" Sirius questioned.

"He is, Sirius," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling once more. "As I was saying, it would not be safe to for the other students to know of your visit. I will arrange temporary quarters for you."

"What about lessons?" Lily asked. Sirius and James groaned loudly.

Dumbledore chuckled. "I will also arrange for private lessons from all of the professors."

"Er, _all _of the professors, sir?" Harry asked, glancing at Sirius and James out of the corner of his yes.

"All of the professors, Harry."

"This should be interesting," Harry said, causing Remus to look at him questioningly.

A knock sounded on the door. "Come in," Dumbledore called, already knowing who would be missing the welcoming feast to come to his office.

A tired looking professor with slightly graying sandy-colored hair entered. Without glancing at the students, he addressed Dumbledore. "Albus, Harry wasn't in the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione said–"

Dumbledore held out a hand to silence him. "Remus, Harry is here." The sentence caused all five students who didn't belong there to turn to the professor. "I believe you know our guests?"

Remus nodded, and did a double take at the five sixth years. The color drained from his already pale face, and he had to steady himself with an end table to keep from falling over.

"Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, I would like you all to meet our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor R.J. Lupin."


	3. So, what am I doing these days?

**AN: **Just so things don't get too confusing, the older Remus is going to be Professor Lupin, and the younger Remus is going to be Moony or Remus... yeah, I don't do this often!

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_**Changing Times**_

By Neurotica

_Chapter Three: "What am I doing these days?"_

Sirius and James were laughing harder than they had in days. They were red in the face, falling off their chairs, and receiving strange looks from the others in the room. You may ask what had them in hysterics. And you wouldn't be the only one. Lily was looking from one to the other in exasperation. "What is so funny?" she asked.

Sirius was finally able to calm himself enough to answer. "You… you're a… a p–professor!" he gasped staring at the younger Lupin in the room.

"And you are a moron," Remus said, moving his eyes away from Sirius to take a look at his older self. He looked, well, old is the only word to use. He looked as if he'd been through a lot of hardships in his life.

Professor Lupin had been led to a sofa next to Dumbledore's desk by Harry, and was told of the events that brought his friends (and himself, apparently) into the future. He had to admit it was good to see them all happy again. He had trouble remembering the days in which he was mostly carefree. At the moment, however, he was trying to remember when he and his friends had gone back in time.

"Will you two idiots stop already?" Lily asked.

James and Sirius finally got themselves under control, still gasping for air, and smiled charmingly at Lily. "Sorry about that, Evans," Sirius said, snickering. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Harry," Dumbledore said. "I am going to ask you to proceed to the welcoming feast at this time. I would like to speak with our visitors and Professor Lupin alone for a moment."

"We're missing the feast?" Peter asked.

"You eat too much, Wormtail," Sirius muttered.

"You said that already, Padfoot," James muttered back.

"No, I said he needs to lay off the Chocolate Frogs," Sirius said. "Right, Mr. Moony? Er, _younger_ Mr. Moony?"

"Sirius is right, James. And I think you two should lay off the nicknames at the moment," Remus said, jerking his head at Dumbledore.

"I hear nothing," the headmaster said, looking off into the distance.

Professor Lupin watched the banter between the young Marauders with a smile on his face. Oh, how he missed those days.

"You can see them later, Harry," Dumbledore said.

Harry nodded. "Um, okay. Er, bye, then," he said awkwardly with a small smile to Professor Lupin.

"Bye, Harry! Nice meeting you!" Lily called as Harry left the room.

"Nice kid," Sirius commented. "A little edgy at first, but nice." He looked around the room for something to say, and his eyes landed on the older Lupin. "So, what am I doing these days?" he asked.

The smile on Professor Lupin's face faded quickly at Dumbledore. How do you tell a teenage boy the horrors he's going to face?

"You're not doing much at the moment, Sirius," Dumbledore said sadly.

Professor Lupin's eyes widened at the blunt answer.

"I knew it!" James cried in mock-sadness. "He's a secretary for the Department of Magical Pets, isn't he?"

The two Lupins rolled their eyes; one in annoyance, the other in affection.

"I'm afraid not, James," Dumbledore said, looking at Sirius. "Are you sure you wish to know, Sirius?"

"Is it bad?"

"I'm afraid so," Dumbledore answered.

"Okay, lay it on me," Sirius said, preparing himself for anything.

"Headmaster, are you sure about this?" Professor Lupin asked, looking pointedly at Dumbledore.

"I am, Remus," Dumbledore said. He looked at the five students before him. "Sirius Black died less than three months ago."

James' grin slid off his face as he looked at his best friend. Sirius had gone ghostly pale as he looked from Dumbledore to Professor Lupin.

"I _died_?" he whispered.

"Yes," Professor Lupin confirmed.

"He had a good life though, right?" Remus asked. It was strange to talk about his friend in the past tense (something the older Remus was quite used to), but Sirius was too shocked to ask.

For a second, Professor Lupin thought Dumbledore would break down and tell them everything. Instead, the headmaster said, "We will talk more soon. At the moment, I must ask the five of you to be patient, and get some rest. I believe Professor Lupin will be happy to escort you to your quarters. I will send a few house-elves with you dinner."

* * *

Sirius sat at a wooden table pushing his soup around in its bowl with a spoon. None of his friends had said a word since Dumbledore's revelation about his future an hour before. In twenty years, he would be dead. Sirius had never really thought about death before that night.

Professor Lupin wished them all a good night, and warned them to stay in their quarters; he knew all their tricks after all. He would visit them again in the morning, he said, and he would perhaps bring a few photos as well.

"Alright, Padfoot?" James asked quietly. The others had gone to bed, leaving the two best friends alone.

"I'm fine," Sirius said.

"Liar."

Sirius chuckled. "No, really, I'm fine. Thirty-six isn't a bad age. It's a lot longer than I thought I'd live. And I'll probably die some glorious death, like falling in a hail of wand fire during a battle to save the world."

"Only you could joke about death," James said, shaking his head.

"Somebody's got to laugh. You guys all looked like I already died. Evans, too, and she hates me."

"So what do you think of the older Remus?" James grinned.

"You know, I'm not really surprised. He's always been the scholarly type, and he likes tutoring the younger students. I wonder what you and Pete are up to," Sirius said thoughtfully.

"Well, I'll be married to Lily Evans with ten kids, and have the Head Auror position at the Ministry. And Pete will have some desk job or something."

"Better not let Evans hear you say that, Prongs," Sirius warned with a smirk.

James shrugged. "Anyway, we'll find out soon, I'm sure. See you in the morning, Padfoot."

"Night, Prongs."

* * *

Ron and Hermione sat across from Harry in the empty common room in complete shock. Their friend had just finished telling them the story of the Marauder' and Lily's arrival at Hogwarts.

"Dumbledore's sure it's them?" Hermione checked.

"Yeah, he seemed sure," Harry said.

"Wow," Ron breathed. "Your parents are here, Harry."

"I know," Harry said tonelessly.

"You don't seem too happy about it," Hermione observed.

"It's… weird," he admitted. "I can get to know them now, but I know what happens in a few years."

"You can always take Pettigrew out now, save everyone a lot of grief," Ron said, still bitter about his pet rat being a Death Eater.

"He can't do that, Ron! Do you have any idea what can happen if you change the past?" Hermione said.

"But this isn't the past, Hermione," Ron argued.

"Honestly, Ron. How thick are you? If something happens to one of them in our time, it would effect the past. Which means, _Ronald_, that our present would be very different. And it could be for the worse," Hermione explained.

"Yeah, but could it really be that bad? A world without Wormtail, I mean? He never would have been my parents Secret-Keeper. Sirius never would have gone to Azkaban…" Harry trailed off.

"Harry, no!" Hermione said firmly.

"I'm not going to do anything," Harry insisted. "But it's a nice thought, isn't it?"

A short while later, Ron and Hermione went to bed, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts. He'd met his parents. Of course, they weren't really his parents just yet, but in a few years they would be.

The whole time travel idea made Harry's head spin. He didn't understand it much better now than he had in third year with Hermione's time-turner.

Dumbledore said Harry would get to see them all again soon. What would they talk about, though? Had Dumbledore told Lily and James Harry's true identity as their son? Would Lily and the Marauders find out about their tragic lives? They'd all led tragic lives, even Wormtail. Being a Death Eater couldn't be a walk in the park…

A world without Wormtail… Harry found himself thinking about it more and more as he continued to stare into the dying flames in the Gryffindor fireplace. His parents could still be alive without Wormtail, and Harry might have even had younger brothers and sisters. He never would have had to live with the Dursleys… That thought alone brought a smile to the sixth year's face.

Voldemort never would have returned in his fourth year. But would he have gone away at all? Harry was the reason the Dark Lord disappeared in the first place. If somebody more trustworthy had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper, Voldemort never would have found them. He probably would have gone after Neville, instead. Would that make Neville the Boy-Who-Lived?

The more he thought about it, the more he believed that things happened the way they were supposed to happen. The past could be changed, but at what cost?

Harry didn't know how long the Marauders and Lily would be at Hogwarts, but he was determined to make it count. He would never have another chance to meet his parents, after all…


	4. Werewolves in the Library

_**Changing Times**_

By Neurotica

_Chapter Four: Werewolves in the Library_

Harry arrived in the temporary quarters for the Marauders and Lily at lunch the next day. Though he still found it quite odd that his teenage parents, godfather, professor, and Wormtail were at the school, he was enjoying spending time with him.

After the scene in the Pensieve the year before, Harry wasn't sure he wanted to know his father at all, regardless of what Lupin and Sirius had said. As time went on, however, Harry found James was actually a nice guy. A little loud at times, but nice.

"So, Harry," Sirius said thickly through his sandwich. "What's your story?'

The question was random; two minutes before they'd been discussing Quidditch. Needless to say, Harry was startled. "Uh, well," he said, trying to think of what to say. Dumbledore hadn't told him what he could and could not tell the five teenage time travelers. He decided to be as vague as possible. "I live with my aunt and uncle," he began.

"Why?" James asked curiously.

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Professor Lupin's entrance into the room saved him. "Ah, there you are, Harry. Hello, everybody," Professor Lupin greeted cheerfully. It was the first time Harry had ever seen him that happy.

"Hi," they all said.

"Can I call you 'Professor Moony'?" Sirius asked.

"No," both Lupins said in unison. It was as if there was an echo in the room.

"Yeah, that's sort of weird," Sirius said with a raised eyebrow, looking between the two Lupins.

Lupin grinned. "I've just come by to tell you that the headmaster has scheduled you a Potions lesson for tomorrow afternoon. You'll have Defense this afternoon," the professor said.

"Moony, we're going to be taught by you. Don't let us down, mate," James muttered to the younger Lupin.

"Shut up, Prongs," Remus said with a grin. "Or I'll give you detention."

James looked at the older Lupin in question. The professor nodded. "Listen to me, James," he said.

"Padfoot, that's more than sort of weird," James muttered.

"Told you," Sirius said.

"Dumbledore's mental," Harry said, shaking his head.

"Here, too, eh?" Sirius grinned. "Always loved that man, in a paternal sort of way."

"So who's the Potions Master here? Is it still Slughorn?" Lily asked.

"Er, no," Lupin said. "He retired about a year before you…. Well, a while ago. You know, Harry, I think you're right; Dumbledore is mental for scheduling them for Potions."

Harry nodded. "Well, I have to get to Transfiguration, or McGonagall will skin me alive."

"Minnie's still around?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, and she still doesn't like to be called 'Minnie', Sirius," Professor Lupin said sternly, though his eyes were twinkling in a Dumbledore-ish sort of way.

Harry left the room, leaving the professor with the teenagers.

"What's the future like, Professor… er, Remus, er," Lily stuttered, not sure what to call him.

"How about we just stick with 'professor' for the moment, Lily? It will take some of the confusion out of this," Professor Lupin said, glancing at his younger self. Remus was "reading" – his eyes weren't moving across the page. He looked interested in the question. "The future is… different," he answered honestly.

"How so?" Peter asked interestedly.

Professor Lupin had to remind himself over and over again that this was not the same Peter who betrayed them. Something between seventh year and just before Harry's birth had changed him. "Well, Wor – er, Peter, for one, there is a new joke shop in Diagon Alley," Remus said, trying to lighten the situation.

"Wicked," James said grinning.

"Grow up," Lily said, rolling her eyes.

"Do Evans and Prongs ever get together?" Sirius asked, eyeing the two suggestively.

Professor Lupin chuckled as James raised his eyebrows at Lily. "Not a chance in hell, Potter," she said flatly.

Lupin cleared his throat slightly. "Actually, Lily…" he trailed off, nodding his head.

The reaction was priceless. James and Sirius high-fived one another, while the look on Lily's face was one neither Lupin would ever forget. She looked disgusted, shocked, horrified, and sick to her stomach, all within a span of a few seconds.

"Excuse me," she said, running off to the bathroom.

"And something for you, Remus," Lupin said quietly to the boy while the others continued to laugh. Remus lowered his book and raised his eyebrows in question. Lupin never realized how quiet he had been during school. "In about ten years, there will be a Lycanthropic break through. It's a potion, the Wolfsbane, and it will make the full moons much easier."

"Really?" Remus replied, a smile growing on his young face. "Wicked…"

Once things had calmed a bit, and Lily returned – sitting as far away from James as possible – the conversation turned to something Lupin was hesitant to speak about.

"We're still friends, right?" James said gesturing to the Marauders. "I mean, you see us all the time when you're not teaching, don't you?"

Lupin bit his lip at the same time Remus did. It was a habit he (er, _they_) picked up when he got nervous. "Actually, James, I haven't seen you in fifteen years," he said sadly.

"Why?" James asked, looking between his friend and Lupin.

Lupin hesitated. "We probably shouldn't get into this at the moment, but… let's just say, it's a dream come true to see you all sitting here." The teenagers smiled. Remus' brow furrowed in confusion.

"Well, I have a class to teach–" Sirius snickered; both Lupins glared at him. "I'll see you guys later tonight."

* * *

"Alright, Moony?" James asked, sitting beside his friend after their Defense lesson. It had been the best lesson any of them could remember experiencing.

"Something's not right," Remus said quietly.

"It doesn't take a werewolf to figure that out," James smirked, ruffling his hair. "We're in the bloody future!" Remus didn't seem to be enjoying the joke. "Okay, Moony, I'll bite: what's not right?"

"The way I – the older me, I mean – was acting today. He hadn't seen you in fifteen years. Why is that?" Remus said, watching Sirius and Peter play Exploding Snap.

James shrugged. "Maybe we just… drifted apart," he said regretfully.

"No, that's not it. Something happened fifteen years ago. Something bad. You could see it in his eyes," Remus said. "And he was looking at Peter oddly, too."

"Everybody looks at Peter oddly, Remus," James said. "I look at Peter oddly. _You_ look at Peter oddly."

"I don't know…" Remus said. "I think I might do some investigating tonight. Can I borrow the cloak?"

"Sure," James said, wondering what was going on in his friend's head. He never went out at night without one or more of the other Marauders with him.

* * *

With James' trusty Invisibility Cloak and the newly created Marauder's Map in hand, Remus crept through the Hogwarts corridors later that night. He was heading to a place he could find with his eyes closed: the library.

Dumbledore and his older self were in the headmaster's study, probably discussing the five time travelers. The rest of his path was clear.

Silently, he entered the library. He was pleased to see a vast array of new books on the shelves. He'd have to sneak back in before they left and check a few of them out. Since he spent most of his time in the library, Remus knew exactly where Madam Pince kept the _Daily Prophet_ archives. He sorted through them until he found the year marked '_1981_'.

On the top of the stack was a photo of Frank and Alice Longbottom. They'd been tortured into insanity by Voldemort's followers just days after the Dark Lord disappeared.

"Voldemort disappeared? When did that happen?" Remus muttered.

Moving a few archives back, Remus found was he supposed he was looking for. "Bloody hell," he muttered in horror. "No way… there's no possible way," he said, reading through the articles in the paper. He magically made copies of the articles and put the newspapers back in their proper spots. He folded the copies and placed them safely in the pockets of his robes.

Shaking, he picked up the Marauders Map and examined it. He jumped a foot in the air when he saw the dot labeled _Remus Lupin_ standing right behind his own dot labeled _Remus Lupin_. He turned to face his older self. "Er, hello," he said awkwardly.

"Hello," Lupin said calmly. "What are you looking for this late at night?"

Knowing it wouldn't be wise to lie to himself – as weird as that sounds – Remus slowly pulled out the copies and handed them to Lupin.

Lupin didn't have to look at anything but the date to know what Remus had been doing. Both Lupins held impassive looks on their faces as they stared at one another. "Do us both a favor," Lupin said quietly. "Keep this to yourself for the time being. There are some things I need to explain, and it's too late tonight to begin."

"He betrayed them," Remus said, through gritted teeth. "He killed them…"

"No, you don't understand. Please, don't show this to the others tonight. Tomorrow, I will explain everything. Please," Lupin said pleadingly.

It was surreal to see the sincerity in his elder self. James had told him before that he could tell when Remus was lying by looking him in the eyes; he'd never realized how true it was before now. "Okay," Remus agreed, wanting to hear what the whole story was. "But tomorrow, we find out everything."

Lupin hesitated, but nodded. "Deal," he said, sticking out his own had to shake… his own hand…  
"Now I suggest you go back. There are a few professors who have yet to be informed of your presence. And, though I look forward to seeing his reaction, this isn't a good night for that sort of surprise."

Remus raised an eyebrow, causing the elder Lupin to laugh the first real laugh he'd emitted in months. "Sirius was right," Lupin said, laughter still in his voice. "I do look like a professor with that eyebrow."


	5. Snape's Worst Nightmare

_**Changing Times**_

By Neurotica

_Chapter Five: Snape's Worst Nightmare_

Severus Snape's lip curled as Dumbledore left the dungeons. Two hours… Two hours he would have to give up tutoring this mysterious group of sixth years. Dumbledore seemed to enjoy every second he spent evading Snape's questions as to just who these students were. With any luck – of which he seemed to scarcely have – these students would be competent enough to prepare a truth serum. He highly doubted it, however, as the headmaster said they were "a bit behind the times". And then he chuckled. Severus Snape hated it when Dumbledore chuckled; he always seemed to have some private joke that nobody else understood when he chuckled, and the joke never ended with Snape's enjoyment.

He gathered his potions supplies and left the comfort of his cold dungeons. He'd basically grown up in the Hogwarts dungeons, and he could find no place he enjoyed being in more.

Snape made his way to the quarters he would temporarily be using as a Potions lab. On the way, he took much pleasure in taking points from a group of Ravenclaw fourth years for talking too loudly in the corridors.

As the room drew nearer, the door opened and a familiar head of black untidy hair snuck out. "Potter!" Snape called.

Harry Potter, son of the man Snape loathed, even in death, spun around. "Yes, professor?" He asked innocently – a little too innocently in Snape's opinion.

"What are you doing here? These quarters are strictly forbidden to students. Or are you once again believing yourself above the rules?" Snape said coldly.

"I have permission to be here, _sir,_" Potter said with attitude in his voice.

"Really?" Snape asked, his eyebrows raising.

"Yes."

"Well, I have not been informed of this. Five points from Gryffindor, Potter. Now, I suggest you return to your common room before I decide to be less generous," Snape said smoothly.

Potter left, muttering about something Snape didn't care to hear. Snape said the password ("Snickerdoodle"), and waited for the portrait of the giant fish to open. Already Snape was quite annoyed with the arrangements as he stepped through the portrait hole.

Right when he entered, Snape noticed the same head of unruly hair he'd just seen moments ago. _How did he…_ Snape thought. _No matter; that's just more points from Gryffindor._ "Potter!" he yelled, watching the sixth year jump and slowly turn around. "I don't know how you got back in here, but I want you OUT! Fifty points from Gryffindor for deliberate disobedience."

Potter merely raised an eyebrow. "Who the hell are you?" he asked.

"What did you say to me, Potter?" Snape asked, his eyes narrowing.

Potter turned around fully, his knees on the cushion, and placed his arms on the back of the armchair he was sitting in. "I asked who the hell you are. And I haven't done anything in the past ten minutes, so you can't take points," Potter said.

"Bloody hell! I know you!" said a too-familiar voice.

Snape turned to his right and saw sixteen-year-old versions of Sirius Black, Lily Evans, and Peter Pettigrew carrying their potions supplies into the room. This couldn't be happening… It was impossible… But if they're here, that would mean… Snape turned back to Potter how stood from his spot in the chair. No scar…

"Snivellus?" James Potter cried out in realization.

"Ha! I knew it! Still as greasy as ever, I see," Black said with a smirk.

"A little paler, too," Potter said casually. "You know, Snivelly, a little sun wouldn't do you much harm."

A door on the far end of the quarters opened at the commotion James and Sirius had started. Snape had to blink a few times to be sure he wasn't seeing things. He wiped his eyes. Nope, he wasn't seeing things; there really were two Lupins staring at him with the exact same questioning gaze.

"Lupin!" Snape said, trying to regain his composure.

"Yes?" Both Lupins answered politely. The older one leaned over to his younger self and whispered, "I think he meant me."

"Oh, right, sorry," the younger Lupin said, moving to stand with James and Peter.

"Hello, Severus," Older Lupin said.

"What have you done?" Snape growled.

Lupin raised that insufferable eyebrow. "Nothing," he said. "I'm merely supervising," he added, gesturing to the sixth year students.

"What kind of sick joke is this, Lupin?"

"It's not a joke, Snivelly! We're really here!" Sirius said, grinning. Older Lupin sent him a sharp look.

"These are our visitors, Severus," Older Lupin said mildly.

"Impossible," Snape spat.

Older Lupin sighed. "I assure you this is happening, Severus."

"If you think I am teaching – _them_, you're more insane that I previously believed," Snape said.

"Come on, Snivelly, it'll be fun!" James said.

"Don't lie to him, James," Sirius whispered loudly, not trying to keep Snape from hearing.

Shaking his head hopelessly, Snape turned away from the two boys he hated most during his Hogwarts days. "Insanity," he muttered, turning away from the lot of them.

"Severus…" Older Lupin began. "Severus, where are you going?"

Snape took his potions supplies and made his way far away from the room slowly, muttering about mad werewolves.

* * *

After a dinner delivered to him by Lucius Malfoy's former house-elf (Obie, or something ridiculous like that), Snape sat in his cold dark dungeon study, on a chair only he could find comfortable, with only the light of one lantern to allow him to see. He'd already gone through a full bottle of wine, but couldn't get the visions of those blasted Marauders out of his mind.

He thought he had rid himself of them forever – well, Potter and Black, at least; he was forced to see Lupin everyday, and he had to deal with Pettigrew on a less frequent basis. Regardless, he loathed them all – he always had. Black and Potter had been the ringleaders of the "I hate Slytherins" club in school. One year, they actually developed buttons of different Slytherins with boils on their faces, their heads catching fire, or something equally as cruel.

How could Dumbledore possibly believe that he, Severus Snape, would actually teach the Marauders? He didn't even want to call a Marauder his colleague.

It was best for what remained of his sanity that he left their quarters; Black and Potter would have blown them all to dust had Snape been forced to stay. Dumbledore would be hearing from him about this little surprise, indeed.

Snape began to relax slightly as he drained the third glass of the second bottle of wine. He started to pour himself another, but the bottle flew from his hand. It dangled in front of his face for a moment before soaring into a far wall and shattering. Snape raised an eyebrow at the mess. _Perhaps I've had enough_, he thought.

He went to his private bathroom to change for bed, but found himself face down on the hard dungeon floor. A footstool had caused the fall, but Snape didn't recall moving it from the other side of the room. He pushed himself from the floor and finally made it to his bathroom.

He took care of his business and changed into his maroon and gold pajamas.

Wait, did I say maroon and gold? Why, yes, yes I did.

Snape looked horrified into the mirror as gold lettering appeared across his chest. 'Potions is for gits,' the writing said.

After closing his eyes and shaking his head slightly, Snape looked back into the mirror. He was wearing Gryffindor pajamas.

Thinking things were a little too odd tonight, and vowing to lay off the wine for a while, Snape rectified the problem, and changed into his nice non-Gryffindor pajamas.

Sighing, he went to his bedroom and began to prepare for a good night's rest. He extinguished the lanterns in the room with a wave of his wand, and pulled down the bed covers.

Snape climed into his four-poster bed and began to get comfortable. That was until he felt it… There was something slightly nasty feeling on his bare feet. Raising another eyebrow, Snape got back out of bed, tore off the bed's covers, and lit the tip of his wand.

The entire mattress was covered in broken eggs, shells and all.

"What the hell?" Snape muttered drunkenly. He vanished the eggs and looked around.

That was when he saw it…

In large gold letters, just above his bedroom door was the following message:

'_To Snivellus,_

_With (no) love, The Marauders_

_Moony_

_Wormtail_

_Padfoot_

_Prongs_


	6. Honesty Really Is the Best Policy

_**Changing Times**_

By Neurotica

_Chapter Six: Honesty Really Is the Best Policy_

Professor Lupin arrived in the Marauders' and Lily's quarters around ten p.m. later that night. The sight he'd walked into was a bit too reminiscent for him.

James and Sirius were rolling around on the floor, laughing so hard they were crying. Peter looked like he was about to wet himself as he watched his two friends in awe. Remus was struggling to hold in his laughter. Lily sat in a corner watching them over a book she'd found in her trunk.

"What did they do?" Lupin cautiously asked Lily. It was the exact same way the Marauders behaved when they'd pulled off a rather complicated prank.

"They pranked Snape," Lily said flatly.

Lupin closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. _Please, God, no,_ he thought to himself. All he needed was for Severus Snape to get mad at him before the full moon – which, in his time, was coming in a week. "Excuse me, boys," Remus called. The boys couldn't hear him over Sirius and James' laughter. "OY! SHUT UP!" he yelled. He hadn't raised his voice like that in years, but it worked. All four Marauders looked over at him immediately. "Thank you," Lupin said, calming himself down. "I'm not even going to ask how you four managed to make it down to the dungeons, pull of a prank, and back in half an hour."

The Marauders grinned proudly at one another.

"Do you still have the articles?" Lupin asked his younger self.

Remus' grin faded. He nodded and pulled the copies of articles he'd found in the library out of his robes.

"What articles?" Lily asked, setting down her book and moving closer to the group.

Remus sighed. "Last night, I went to do some investigation in the library about the future. And I found some rather depressing news in Pince's _Daily Prophet_ articles," Remus explained. "I was going to show this to you guys last night, but he asked me not to," he said, gesturing to Lupin.

"And there's a very good explanation for that," Lupin began. "Those articles, for the most part, are wrong."

"What do they say?" Sirius asked, ripping the copies from Remus before either Lupin could stop him.

James and Peter moved to read over his shoulder. Three jaws dropped as they read the three different articles. The first dealt with the deaths of Lily and James Potter; the second was about their son, Harry; and the third covered the betrayal of Sirius Black, the murder of twelve innocent Muggles, and Peter Pettigrew.

"I have to sit now," James said, looking pale. Shakily, he moved to a sofa and collapsed into the cushions.

"James… I'd never…" Sirius whispered in horror.

"What?" Lily asked, taking the articles from Sirius. She read them as well, and moved to sit on James' other side with a blank expression.

"Please, tell me I don't…" Sirius pleaded with Lupin.

"You don't," Lupin whispered hoarsely.

"What?" the five teenagers said in varying tones of voice and volume.

"Sirius doesn't betray anybody," Lupin said. "Least of all Lily and James. Sirius was Harry's godfather when Lily gave birth to him." James surprised Lupin by not commenting on Lily's giving birth to his son. Perhaps it hadn't hit him, yet. "He was framed," Lupin continued, looking at each of them in turn. "He spent twelve years in Azkaban due to someone else's betrayal. He was the first ever to escape from Azkaban three years ago. He'd found out that the traitor had been disguised as the pet of a friend of Harry's. I happened to be teaching that year here at Hogwarts. Towards the end of the year, I found out the truth. It was something I never thought I'd hear."

"What was the truth?" Remus asked quietly.

Lupin sighed and looked at Peter. "I thought you had died at Sirius' wand. None of us knew what you had become. If we did, things may have been different," he said sadly.

"Me?" Peter whispered, horrified.

Lupin nodded. "May I see your forearm, Peter?"

"Why?"

"I want to show you something," Lupin said.

Hesitantly, Peter rolled up his long-sleeved robe and showed Lupin his bare arm. "In a few years, you will receive the Dark Mark; you will become a Death Eater. Eventually, you will become the Secret-Keeper for Lily and James, and betray them to Lord Voldemort," Lupin said.

"No…" Peter said, yanking his arm away from Lupin. "NO! I'd never do that! They're my friends!"

Lupin smiled bitterly. "That's what we thought."

None of the teenagers knew what to say. They'd just found out what would happen in a few years time. They'd just found out that one of their best friends would betray them. All eyes were on Peter as they struggled with the revelation.

Sirius had to be forcefully taken out of the room by the two Lupins as he moved to attack Peter. As much as Lupin wished that Peter had never been born, he couldn't allow any harm to come to any of them. Peter excused himself not long after and went to bed.

This left Lupin alone with Lily and James. The redhead was crying silently, while James tried to comfort her. It seemed, however, that James needed someone to comfort him.

"Were we happy, at least?" Lily finally asked, tears streaming from her green eyes.

James looked away from Lily and at Lupin for the answer. "You were," Lupin said, smiling honestly. "You and James were happily married for two years before Harry was born. After that, you were happier than I'd ever seen you." Both of them smiled.

"We have a son," James muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Told you you'd fall in love with me," he said Lily, nudging her in the shoulder and smiling at her.

Lily laughed through her tears. "Things can change, Potter."

"What happened to Harry?" James asked. "He told us before he lives with his aunt and uncle, but I'm an only child, and Lily…"

"Has a sister," she groaned. "Please don't tell me Harry has to live with Petunia."

"I'm afraid so," Lupin said. "Harry hasn't had an easy life, but he's a great kid."

"Well, this sort of sucks," James said. "I'm dead in five years."

"You're not the only one," Lily said.

"How did Harry survive?" James asked.

"Well," Lupin began slowly. He went into the explanation Dumbledore had given him about Lily's love for Harry saving him from Voldemort's Killing Curse. After that, at their request, Remus told them everything he'd ever learned about Harry James Potter. Through it all, Lily and James were shocked, humored, and quite proud of their future son.

Lupin didn't leave until two a.m., but instead of going to bed, Lily and James remained on the sofa. James silently placed his arm around Lily's shoulders and pulled her to him. He was very pleased when she didn't pull away; she instead wrapped her arms around his waist and nestled her head against his chest. Both fell asleep moments later.


	7. Meet the Parents

_**Changing Times**_

By Neurotica

_Chapter Seven: Meet the Parents_

Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way through the crowd of students towards the secret quarters of the Marauders and Lily after classes had ended. Earlier that day, Professor Lupin had pulled Harry aside and told him that they had all been informed of everything two nights ago. When Harry inquired as what "everything" meant, the professor only emphasized the word and raised his eyebrows pointedly.

Harry wasn't sure how he felt about Lupin telling his future parents about his past, but supposed it was easier that way; there were many things that Harry preferred not discussing with people.

Ron and Hermione expressed their wishes of meeting the time travelers before they left – which could be anytime within the next week, according to Dumbledore. It still wasn't clear as to how they would be getting back to their own time, but the headmaster had arranged more complicated things in the past.

The trio climbed through the portrait hole of the quarters and immediately sensed the highly tense atmosphere. They spotted the source of the friction as James held a struggling Sirius away from a trembling Peter.

"Er, hello," Harry said tentatively.

Peter was visibly relieved by the arrival of more witnesses in the room, and Sirius stopped his struggle to get past James.

"Did we come at a bad time?" Harry asked.

"Nah, Harry, Wormtail and I were just having a little conversation," Sirius said, forcing a grin. "So, you're my future godson, eh?"

"Er, yeah," Harry said, watching Remus try to calm Peter down. "Oh, these are my friends, Ron and Hermione."

"Hi, I'm Lily," the redheaded witch said, shaking Ron's and Hermione's hands.

"How were you classes today?" James asked, approaching the trio.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you care about how classes were?" he muttered to his friend.

James shrugged. "Just trying to be a good dad," he muttered back.

"Right," Lily said, shaking her head, but smiling at James. "Professor Lupin tells us you three are quite the adventurous bunch."

Harry and Ron grinned at one another while Hermione tried to hide her smile. "Not our choice, really, it's all Harry's fault," Ron said.

"My fault?" Harry said incredulously. "You were the one who upset Hermione in first year, and made her go into that bathroom with the troll."

"I didn't make her go in there, and the troll wasn't in there when she went in," Ron reasoned.

"What difference does that make?"

"They're idiots," Hermione muttered to Lily and James. "But they're my idiots."

"They kind of remind me of James and Sirius," Lily said thoughtfully.

"James," Sirius said wide-eyed. "She called us James and Sirius, not Potter and Black."

"Momentary lapse of judgment. It won't happen again, Black," Lily said smoothly with a wink to Hermione.

"Oh, I brought some stuff with me. Thought you guys might like to see it," Harry said, taking the leather knapsack from his shoulder.

The Marauders gathered around him – Peter was careful to stand as far as possible from Sirius – and watched Harry pull out two things from his bag. Both of which were quite familiar to the pranksters.

"How did you get my cloak?" James said, feeling the fabric.

"Dumbledore gave it to me first year. Apparently you left it with him before… well, you left it with him," Harry said awkwardly. Lily patted him on the arm and gave him a smile.

"Is that the map?" Sirius asked in awe, pointing at the aged piece of parchment in Harry's hand.

"Yep," Harry said with a grin. "I got this is third year from Ron's brothers. I used it to get into Hogsmeade a few times. And Professor Lupin used it to find us in the Shrieking Shack."

"Hogsmeade, eh?" James grinned. "That's my boy," he added proudly.

* * *

Later in the evening, Harry got the chance he had been both looking forward to and dreading since he'd first met his parents. Hermione suggested she, Ron, Remus, Peter, and Sirius play a game of Exploding Snap in another room. She'd sensed Harry's need to spend some time alone with his parents – ready or not. As she kept reminding him, he wouldn't get another chance at this…

Lily and James sat together on the sofa while Harry sat across from them in an armchair. Harry and James looked anywhere but at each other, preferably out the window in the direction of the Quidditch Pitch.

"So, I hear you play Quidditch," James said, searching for anything to say.

"You amaze me," Lily said, shaking her head.

"I know, that's why you marry me," James said. "What kind of broom do you have?" he added to Harry.

Harry laughed at the slight glare Lily sent James, but could feel she was interested in anything Harry had to say. "I've got a Firebolt. I got it from Sirius for Christmas in third year," he smiled a little sadly.

"Were you and Sirius close?" James asked, noticing the look on his future son's face.

"Not as close as I wish we were, but he was always there when I needed him," Harry said. "I only knew him for two years."

"I'm sorry," Lily said quietly and sincerely.

Harry nodded stiffly, trying not to cry in front of his (future) parents.

"What's Petunia like these days?" Lily asked.

"Normal," Harry said honestly. "Do you know Vernon?"

"That fat guy with no neck?"

"Yeah, that's him. Well, they got married and have a son," Harry said.

"Petunia reproduced?" Lily asked in a tone of obvious disgust.

"Oh yeah… And if you think Vernon's an idiot, wait until I tell you about Dudley…"

* * *

Lily and James told Harry about their time so far in Hogwarts, including a story about Hagrid busting Snape for going into the Forbidden Forest. The at-the-time student had been given detention for two nights. Even Lily had to laugh at that.

Somehow, the conversation drifted to the subject of Peter and the Fidelius Charm. James was adamant in his belief that Peter wouldn't do such a thing, and Harry could sort of see his point; he could never imagine Ron or Hermione betraying him.

"Everything happens for a reason, Harry," Lily said. "Whatever happens has to happen – no matter how much we wish it was different."

"We could change it…" James said quietly, looking at the closed door where Peter was with the others.

"Do you really think Dumbledore will allow that?" Lily asked.

"He won't," Harry agreed with Lily reluctantly.

James bit his lip and looked away.

"So, um, I hear you play Quidditch, too," Harry said, needing to change the subject.

Lily smiled. _Like father, like son_, she thought.

* * *

Harry left that night with Ron and Hermione under the Invisibility Cloak with a wide smile on his face. He'd spent hours with his parents. He wished it was longer, but he'd have these memories forever, and he'd always remember it. 


	8. Night Time Quidditch

_**Changing Times**_

By Neurotica

_Chapter Eight: Night Time Quidditch_

A few days after Harry spent the evening with his parents, Professor Dumbledore gathered Professor Lupin, Harry, Lily, and the Marauders in his office to inform him that he'd found a way to send the visitors back to their own time. The entire group had been saddened by the announcement – Dumbledore included. Lily, however, had admitted that while she was enjoying spending time at this Hogwarts, she missed her friends; Sirius announced two things: one) One Remus J. Lupin was enough for him, and two) a younger Snape was easier to deal with than the professor.

Dumbledore confided in them, as he said, "just for Professor Lupin's knowledge" that the Quidditch Pitch would be "Argus-free" that night, and would he please to patrol around said Quidditch Pitch to be sure no "unauthorized" students were out of bed.

(Translation from Dumbledore-nese to English: Filch would be kept busy elsewhere in the school. Take the Marauders, Lily, Harry, and his friends to the Quidditch pitch, if they wish, to play a game. And the broom shed would be open. Oh, and make sure Draco Malfoy isn't hanging around like the little Slytherin git he is; he'll report to his daddy the first chance he gets – that's a loose translation, by the way.)

Later that night, as the clock struck eleven o'clock, the Marauder's gathered under James' Invisibility Cloak, the original Marauders Map in hand. Lily joined Harry, Ron, and Hermione under the cloak Dumbledore left Harry with the older Marauder's Map in hand. They met Professor Lupin near the Gryffindor stands on the Quidditch pitch.

Simultaneously, James and Harry pulled their respective cloaks away from their heads, revealing themselves to Lupin. The older werewolf smiled widely as he set eyes on the two (nearly) identical Potters.

"Broomsticks are in the shed. I'm sure James knows how to get in," Lupin said, grinning at James.

Once everyone had a broom (Harry brought his Firebolt), they all gathered around the ball crate in the center of the pitch. "We've decided something," James began, "about the lineup for tonight. Hermione said she would prefer not to play–" Harry and Ron glared slightly at their bushy-haired friend. "–so we need another player. Unless something has changed, you're a hell of a Keeper," he said, pointing to Lupin. "So here are the teams - no arguing… Remus as Keeper for one team; Lily, Seeker; Sirius, Beater; Ron, Chaser. The rest of us – Harry, me, Lupin, and Pete are the other team. Peter, you're Beating."

Lupin put up an argument that fell on deaf ears that he hadn't flown in years, but when Harry reminded him about the flight from Surrey to London only the year before, Lupin smiled in defeat and took the broom James held out to him.

Sirius, James, Peter, Ron, and Remus jumped on their brooms and flew out into the night, racing one another around the Quidditch pitch. Harry climbed on his Firebolt, but before he took off, he noticed the odd look on Lupin's face.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked concerned. Lupin was watching the five boys race in and out of the goal posts.

Slowly, Lupin turned his head to Harry and smiled widely. "Ever had the feeling of déjà vu?"

Harry nodded and smiled at a memory of a dream he'd once had about a flying motorcycle.

Lupin winked at Harry, climbed on his own broom, and chased the others around the pitch. Harry took off on his Firebolt and met Lily in the sky.

"I didn't know you played Quidditch!" Harry called to his future mother.

Lily only grinned. "I don't!" she called back.

Professor Lupin conjured lights so the players could see what they were doing, but anyone inside the castle wouldn't be able to see a thing.

Hermione released the Snitch followed by the two Bludgers, and finally the Quaffle. The Snitch fluttered between Lily and Harry for a moment, and took off to the other side of the pitch. James immediately caught the Quaffle and took off for Remus' goal. Ron was just behind him.

James threw the Quaffle towards the right hoop, but was knocked off course as Sirius hit a Bludger in his path.

The game went on for an hour; Lily and Harry were purposely ignoring the Snitch to allow the others to play longer. Lupin surprised Harry and Ron when he blocked the majority of shots with the Quaffle. Harry wondered why Lupin never told him he played Quidditch.

Sirius showed a lot of restraint when he was close enough to Peter to knock him off his broom, but didn't – that alone was enough to shock everybody. Apparently, Sirius was having too much fun to kill his friend that night.

"HARRY! THE SNITCH!" James called from Lupin's side of the pitch.

Harry spun around his Firebolt in the direction James was pointing at and saw a glimmer of gold. Lily was already miles ahead of him when he took off. Harry caught up with Lily in a matter of seconds. The redhead turned, grinned at him, and accelerated towards the Snitch. They were neck and neck, their hands stretched out at the speeding golden ball. Harry's fingers touched it, but Lily knocked his hand out of the way and grasped the Snitch.

"YES!" Sirius and Ron yelled.

Everybody landed on the ground around Hermione, who had waited patiently while she read some book she'd brought.

"Evans! Why didn't you try out for the team?" James asked in disbelief.

"Because you did," Lily said simply, winking at James.

"Your mum beat you at Quidditch, Harry," Ron whispered in his best friend's ear.

Harry shrugged, smiling widely. Yes, his mother had beaten him, but, hey, who ever gets the chance to play Quidditch against his sixteen-year-old mother? Only the Boy-Who-Lived could now claim that…

"Okay, let's get everything put away," Lupin announced, grinning as widely as any of the students.

Once everything was stored and locked, the Invisibility Cloaks were thrown back over them, the maps re-activated, and they made their way up to the castle. Harry, Ron, and Hermione said good night to the Marauders, Lily, and Lupin before making their way back to Gryffindor Tower.


	9. Back to the 70s

_**Changing Times**_

By Neurotica

_Chapter Nine: Back to the 70s_

The inevitable day unfortunately came when it was time for Lily and the Marauders to return to their own time. Dumbledore had put it off until the following weekend to allow Harry to spend more time with his parents. They'd all gotten along amazingly in the short time they'd known each other, and Dumbledore couldn't bring himself to separate them again just yet.

Dumbledore and Lupin, as always, were the voices of reason in the matter. If the Marauders and Lily remained in the future, it would only be a matter of time until Voldemort found out. The repercussions were endless, and it couldn't possibly be allowed to happen.

Remus and Lily had both prepared their things to go the night before, like the good Prefects they were. James, Sirius, and Peter, however, had waited until the very last moment, and were now running around like hippogriffs with their heads cut off trying to gather their things from around their quarters. Dumbledore, Lupin, and Harry would be arriving any second to say goodbye and send them back.

"Has anyone seen my boxers with the broomsticks on them?" Sirius called, searching in between sofa cushions and under desks.

"That's disgusting, Black," Lily called in a sing-song voice from where she sat on her trunk beside Remus. Over the last two weeks, Lily had gotten to know the Marauders quite well, and was realizing they weren't as bad as she thought.

"That's nothing," Remus said dismissively. "There was one time in fourth year when the space under his bed had become so dirty, James swore something was living under it. Sirius checked and was nearly attacked by a rabid Kneazle that had moved in over the summer."

"Okay," Lily said slowly, chuckling.

"So, you ready to go back?" Remus asked, watching James help Peter look for his shoe.

"Just summon it, Wormtail!" James yelled.

"I can't find my wand!" Peter whined.

"Yes, and no," Lily answered. "Yes, because I'm anxious to get back to normal. And no because, well, because of Harry. I've only known him for two weeks, but… he's my… _son_," she added hesitantly with a sidelong glance at James. "Not to mention I've actually gotten to know James a bit more."

"Told you he's not so bad," Remus interjected with a grin.

"Yeah," Lily said, watching James with a soft smile.

A few moments later, Dumbledore entered the room followed by Lupin and Harry. Dumbledore and Lupin smiled as James and Sirius ran past them throwing socks at one another. Peter had finally located his wand and shoe, and was now hastily throwing his things into his trunk.

"Is it time?" Remus asked the headmaster.

"It is," Dumbledore said a little sadly.

"Hey, Harry," Remus said, noticing the withdrawn look on Harry's face.

"Hey," Harry said with a small smile.

"Do you have everything packed?" Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.

"Er," Remus said, looking around. Peter and James closed and locked their trunks in unison. Sirius pulled his owl cage from his room and sat it beside James'. All three of them turned and smiled at the new arrivals. "Yes, sir, everything is packed," Remus finished.

"Marvelous," Dumbledore said. "Well, I am sure you all wish to say goodbye. Take your time," he added, taking a bag of lemon drops from his robe and sitting in an armchair.

"So, Harry," James said awkwardly, approaching his future son with his future wife by his side. "Um… well, it was good meeting you, and… er…"

"What James is trying to say is that we've had a wonderful time getting to know you. And no matter what happens, we'll always be with you," Lily said, taking James' hand.

Harry smiled. "Thank you." He hugged Lily, and she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before walking away, her hands covering her eyes.

"So, I guess this is it," James said.

"Guess so," Harry said.

"You're a damn good Seeker, Harry. And you're a better flier than I am – and that's saying something," James grinned.

Harry laughed. "Thanks."

Awkwardly, James pulled Harry in for a quick hug and joined Lily on the other side of the room.

"Well, Harry, I'll see you in a few years, eh?" Remus said.

"I guess so," Harry smiled.

"Take care."

"You, too," Harry said, shaking Remus' outstretched hand.

Sirius was next in line to say goodbye. "I might not have been the greatest godfather in the world, but I'm sure the future me – before I die, I mean – would have been really proud of you."

Harry nodded, thinking of the changes the Sirius he had known had gone through over the years. In school, Sirius had been energetic, highly protective of his friends – something that never changed – and happy. There was no deadness in his gray eyes. It was good for Harry to know his godfather wasn't always unhappy. "See you, Sirius," Harry said quietly.

* * *

"So, Moony," James grinned to the older Lupin. Lupin's lips twitched. "Any advice you can give us before we go?

Lupin looked at the sixteen-year-old version of his best friend. Many things came to his mind as advice, but he thought he'd go with one thing that could benefit everybody in their sixth year at Hogwarts. "There is something that happens towards the end of the school year. Sirius is going to pull a 'prank' on Snape that will send him into the Whomping Willow…"

* * *

"It's okay, Peter," Harry said to the last Marauder, who was stammering apologies. "It was nice meeting you. At least now I know you weren't always evil…"

"I'm still sorry, Harry," Peter said. "It was nice meeting you, too."

Harry smiled and shook the hand of the man that would eventually betray his parents.

Lupin said goodbye to the Marauders and Lily, and nodded to Dumbledore. The headmaster stood and motioned for the time travelers to gather around him. "The way you will be sent back to your own time is perhaps predictable and clichéd, but it is the easiest," Dumbledore said. "You will use a very special time-turner that will disappear the moment you reach my office in 1975. Unfortunately, I will have to erase your memories." Dumbledore held up a hand as James and Sirius began to object. "I understand your wishes to change the future, boys, but you must realize the terrible things that could happen if you did." There was no arguing with Albus Dumbledore; Sirius and James closed their mouths promptly.

"Now, I ask you to place the time-turner around your necks – the chain is long enough to cover all five of you. Professor Lupin will shrink your belongings for travel," Dumbledore said.

Once all five trunks were shrunk, the Marauders and Lily placed them safely in the pockets of their robes. Their owls in hand, they waited for Dumbledore to erase their memories.

Just before the headmaster raised his wand, James said, "Wait!" He turned to Lily and hesitated. "I don't know what's going to happen when we get back, so I want to do this while you don't hate me as much."

Lily raised a questioning eyebrow until James dipped her in a rather passionate kiss. For a moment, it looked as if Lily was going to slap him, but thankfully for James, she began to kiss back.

Once they'd finished, both Lily and James had goofy grins and blushes on their faces.

"Way to go, James," Sirius muttered to his friend. James couldn't stop grinning long enough to answer.

Dumbledore chuckled and raised his wand. "It was wonderful seeing you all again. I wish you luck," he said. "_Obliviate_!"

For a moment, the Marauders and Lily had dazed looks on their faces.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Dumbledore muttered, taking a piece of parchment with black writing on the front. _To Albus Dumbledore. Do not open until 31 August 1996. _He tucked the letter into Remus' hand, placed the time-turner around the necks of the travelers, and activated it. Next moment, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Lily Evans were gone.

"Sir, will they forget everything?" Harry asked curiously.

"They will forget the large things that have happened, or will happen. Smaller things, they will remember vaguely. Like Quidditch," Dumbledore said with a smile and wink to Lupin.

"It's been an interesting few weeks," Lupin said, smiling.

"Understatement," Harry muttered, causing the older wizards to chuckle. "Um, sir, are you going to wipe our memories, too?"

Dumbledore looked thoughtfully from Harry to Remus. Both looked as if they wanted nothing more than to keep the memory of the last two weeks. "You know, Harry, I don't believe I will. The both of you deserve these memories, and I can not bring myself to take them from you." Harry and Lupin smiled at each other. "Now, if you will excuse me, I must go re-arrange my socks. Good afternoon, gentlemen."


	10. Epilogue

_**Changing Times**_

By Neurotica

_Epilogue_

The headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore, was worried. This was a rare event; Dumbledore never seemed to worry about anything. But when the Hogwarts Express arrived the night before, it was missing five Gryffindor sixth years. No one had even seen them board the train that day, nor did they see them in the train station before the train left. Had Voldemort captured them on their way to the school? Perhaps they were being tortured, or worse…

Dumbledore walked down the stairs from his private sleeping quarters to his study to write letters to the missing students' parents, but stopped short. The five Gryffindors were no longer missing; they were standing in front of his desk looking confused and lost.

James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Lily had no idea how they came to be in Dumbledore's office. James and Lily were standing quite close to one another; something the headmaster had learned long ago was not a good thing.

"Well, I see you've arrived," Dumbledore said, approaching his students.

"Er, hello, sir," Remus said, looking around the office confusedly.

"Hello, Remus," Dumbledore said.

"How'd we get here?" Sirius said, looking from his friends to Dumbledore.

"That's a good question, Sirius, one I would like the answer to as well," Dumbledore said.

"We were just looking around the train for a seat, like, two minutes ago!" James said.

"We wouldn't have had to look for a seat if Sirius hadn't set off Dungbombs at James'! We would have been on time!" Peter said.

"Shut up, Peter, no one asked you," Sirius muttered angrily.

"How about you all shut up? You're giving me a headache," Lily complained.

"I can take care of your headache, Evans," James grinned.

"Prat," the redhead muttered.

Remus looked down into his right hand as he felt something there. It was a parchment envelope he definitely had never seen. "I think this is for you, sir," Remus said, holding the letter out to the headmaster uncertainly.

The Marauders and Lily watched Dumbledore read the front of the letter, smile, and place the letter into his purple robes. "Well, I believe the five of you have missed your first day of lessons, so you may go to your common room until dinner. I must inform Professor McGonagall of your arrival. Off you trot," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling maddeningly.

The five sixth years left Dumbledore's office more confused than when they had arrived. What was in that letter, and why was Dumbledore looking at them so oddly?

None of them were quite sure how they'd gotten into Dumbledore's office – that was all true. It seemed only five minutes before they were looking for an empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express.

Something had changed, however. Instead of speeding past them like she normally did when the Marauders were in her way, Lily walked beside James the entire way to Gryffindor Tower.

Remus said the password ("Obliviate") and they climbed through the portrait hole.

The common room was empty; the students must have still been in classes.

"Right, well, I am going upstairs. I feel like the last ten minutes have dragged on for weeks," Sirius said.

"I know what you mean," James said, his brow furrowing in deep thought. "Hey, when was the last time we played Quidditch?"

"I don't know… a few weeks ago?" Sirius said.

"It seems like only a few days," James said thoughtfully.

"I'll, er, see you guys later," Lily muttered feeling embarrassed in front of James for a reason she couldn't begin to understand. She made her way up to the girls' dormitory while James watched her progress until she disappeared behind a corner.

"I'm going to the kitchens," Sirius said. "Want to come, Prongs?"

"Thought you were going upstairs," Remus said with a raised eyebrow.

"Changed my mind. Want to come?" Sirius asked, setting his owl cage on an end table. Remus and Peter agreed, but James began to slowly make his way up the dormitory stairs.

"Prongs?" Remus said questioningly.

"I'll meet you guys there later," James muttered.

"Okay," Sirius said slowly. "See you then."

The three Marauders left the common room as James stepped up the stairs. Instead of going left to the boys' dorms, however, he took a sharp right and nearly collided into Lily who had just run down the stairs.

"Oh, Lily, um, sorry about that," James said sincerely. "You alright?"

Lily nodded. "Yeah, fine, thanks," she muttered. Something odd was happening.

James made to run his hand through his hair, but remembered Lily saying she didn't like that, so he put both hands in his pockets and stared at his shoes. "So, um, I was wondering… Hogsmeade will be coming up soon, and uh, I know you hate me and all, but, um," James stuttered. He sighed and looked up at Lily. "Will you go to Hogsmeade with me, Lily?" he asked shyly.

Lily had never seen James Potter look as sincere or shy or nervous as he did now. (Or had she?) She felt like she'd gotten to know him and he didn't seem as bad as he had before. For some reason, she wanted to know more about him. "Sure, James," she said with a smile.

"I mean, if you're busy, that's okay, too. I was just wondering," James rambled.

"Potter!" Lily said loudly with a laugh. "I said yes," she added quietly.

"Y–you did?" Lily nodded. "Oh, um, o–okay, then. Er, are you hungry? The guys just went to the kitchens," James said.

"Yeah, okay," Lily said, taking James arm and walking down the stairs with him.

As they left the Gryffindor common room together, neither James nor Lily had any idea that in twenty years time their one and only son would be in that exact room going over thoughts of night time Quidditch, two Lupins, and the overwhelming feeling of finally meeting his parents.

Perhaps his heart would be lighter now that he'd personally known what his parents and their friends were like. As anything that happens to the Boy-Who-Lived, it could only make him stronger.

End


	11. Forgotten Scene

**AN: **I knew I was forgetting something when I posted the last chapter of this story the other day. Only one reviewer reminded me of my forgetfulness. So this is an added scene for whydoyouneedtoknow. I hope you all enjoy. And thank you once again for all of your wonderful reviews!

* * *

_**Changing Times**_

By Neurotica

_Forgotten Scene…_

_Second Floor, Third Door on the Left_

The night Hogwarts was finally void of time-traveling-troublemakers, Severus Snape felt free to walk around the corridors without threat of attack. The week had been hell what with Harry Potter sitting in the back of his classroom looking like he'd just eaten a canary. The boy had only known his worthless father for a week, and already he was acting just as cocky and pea-brained as James Potter himself.

Lupin hadn't been much better. The bloody werewolf had no reason to be happy; they were in a war, for crying out loud! Ever since Black fell behind that veil in the Department of Mysteries, Lupin had been skulking around the school as if he'd just lost his dog. Snape chuckled at the pun. (Yes, there are times when Severus Snape chuckles…)

But the moment those blasted Marauders were found to be in the wrong dimension or whatever it was – Snape didn't care enough to find out the true cause of their arrival – Lupin had been walking around with a slight spring in his step. Or perhaps it was a limp. Again, Snape didn't care enough to find out.

And don't even think about Dumbledore! Snape respected the headmaster more than any other in the world, but the man was insane. To actually believe that he, Severus Snape, would sit in a room with the Marauders for two hours and teach them… It was preposterous, it was inhumane, cruel. What living being in their right mind would want to spend more than ten seconds in the same room with that lot?

The headmaster had walked around the school for two bloody weeks with a constant twinkle in his eyes. Snape had been tempted to suggest that the headmaster get his eyes checked – that couldn't be normal – but he resisted. It was as if there was a private joke that no one but Lupin and Dumbledore understood for nearly three days before Snape was asked to tutor the transient students. And Snape was sure they'd laughed at him the next day when he arrived at the Great Hall with pink hair he hadn't noticed until Hooch had pointed at it with egg dripping off her fork.

Again, he could thank the bloody Marauders for that one.

Snape continued his patrol through the darkened corridors of Hogwarts on the second floor. The doors to classrooms had been magically closed and locked after classes ended to prevent students from sneaking in and doing things that were most definitely against school policy. One door, however, was cracked open ever so slightly. The third door on the left, to be exact.

Just across from the cracked open door was the Charms classroom. Just down the hall was Flitwick's office and quarters. This room, however, was one of the unused classrooms. It was one that was used when it was raining too hard for students to go outside between classes. (Let them drown, Filch had once said. Snape privately agreed.)

Cautiously, Snape crept up to the door and pushed it open with his wand. It was empty as always. Desks had been pushed against the walls, chairs stacked neatly in a corner, buckets hanging from the ceiling, windows closed and locked.

Wait… buckets hanging from the ceiling? That couldn't be right…

Snape smirked. So, somebody thought they were going to be funny and prank the next person who entered the room. Well, they picked the wrong night. They picked the night Severus Snape patrolled the halls. Snape always had an eye for detail; that's what made him such a superb spy for the Order of the Phoenix. Well, he wasn't falling for that one.

Snape made to leave the room when he heard whispering voices in a closet. He raised an eyebrow. _Students out of bed_, he thought happily, praying it was Potter and Weasley. He'd been dying to give them detention for a month.

Forgetting all about the buckets in the center of the room, Snape entered and headed in the direction of the closet. His first step across the threshold seemed to trigger something. He could feel, rather than see, something floating just above his head. Snape looked up in time to see a full bucket of what looked like pink bubbles fall onto his head. He sniffed, taking the bubbles into his nose. Shampoo, he smelt, flowery smelling shampoo.

Grinding his teeth in anger, Snape continued to the closet door. Before he took more than two steps, something else happened. This time, another bucket fell from the ceiling, pouring cold water all over him, rinsing off the shampoo.

Growling softly, Snape took another step forward cautiously.

Nothing happened.

Thank Merlin.

He was sure whoever was in the closet was the cause of this little joke, and he would have their heads on his wall when he caught them.

Two more steps… He reached out to the door handle.

One more step… He closed his hand around the cool golden handle.

He wrenched open the door and saw to his dismay… Nothing. There was absolutely, positively nothing in that bloody closet. But they why could he still hear giggling voices? Because they were definitely giggling.

Snape lit the tip of his wand and began to tear apart the closet, throwing out old books and broken furniture. He touched something slightly slimy and pulled his hand away immediately. Whatever his hand had touched, once again, set off some sort of trigger.

Candles were lit. A dusty old mirror stood before him. He raised an eyebrow at his reflection. He was sopping wet and wanted to get back to his cold dungeons for a warm shower. But not until he found his pranking culprits.

The candles went out without any reason behind it. There had been no wind in the closet. Snape had not gone near them. In the next moment, Snape started as the closet door slammed shut. He felt a cold draft spread across his body, possibly due to the wet clothes he was wearing.

Finally, the door opened once more, and Snape exited. He looked back to the mirror one last time, just out of curiosity, and left the room.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore had just finished meeting with Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt in regards to the upcoming Minister of Magic appointments. He had been asked by several people to campaign, but politely refused. He preferred to remain at Hogwarts where he could be sure his students were kept safe in these dark and dangerous days. 

The headmaster was heading down to the kitchens for a late night snack of hot chocolate and pie when he spotted Severus approaching from the second floor.

"Ah, Headmaster," Severus said briskly. "I thought you ought to know that students have been fooling around in the abandoned classroom on the second floor."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at Severus and let what his Potions Master had said register in his mind before he chuckled. "That wouldn't have been the third door on the left by any chance, would it, Severus?"

"Actually, sir, it was," Severus said slowly. "Might I ask what is so funny?"

"Nothing, my dear boy. Nothing at all," Dumbledore continued chuckling. "I will see you in the Great Hall at eight a.m., Severus. And I would change before then if I were you."

Severus raised an eyebrow and watched as Dumbledore turned a corner towards the kitchens. What, exactly, did Dumbledore mean by "change"? Rolling his eyes at the headmaster's sense of humor, Severus made his way to his dungeons. Before he stepped down the stone stairs, however, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.

His mouth dropped open in horror as he realized what he was wearing. It was a fluffy pink tutu. Complete with lacy stockings and ballet slippers. His once greasy hair was tied in a braid with a large puff ball at the end of it.

He heard the cackling of Peeves the Poltergeist approaching. If that disgrace to the school saw Snape in this get-up, every student and teacher would know about it by morning.

Severus tried to get away, but Peeves caught up with him. "Ooooohhhh," Peeves grinned. "Peevesy sees the ickle Marauders got the big bad professor again!" Peeves blew a raspberry at Severus as the professor stopped dead in his tracks.

The Marauders?

"Oh, Lupin…" Severus growled, making his way towards the Defense corridor. Lupin would hear Snape's complaint and reverse whatever spell those wizard disgraces had put on him. Either that, or Snape would poison the Wolfsbane like he'd wanted to for years.

The Real End.


End file.
